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In the course of helping our beloved pets to be as healthy as possible and to live as long of a life as possible, Bichon FurKids Rescue comes across information that we want to make available to you. Our goal is one of education - the choice as to what works for you and what you want to do is totally yours. With that in mind, following is the current information regarding the dog food recall situation and some articles on other topics that we hope you will find of interest.

Ice and Ice Water are Fatal to Your FurKid!

August 2009
Often times, we give our dogs ice cubes and ice water to help them cool off, especially during the hot summer weather. Most of us are not aware, but ice water and ice cubes are extremely dangerous and potentially fatal for our little companions.

Baran's Story

On Saturday, Baran's owner gave him a handful of ice cubes in his water bowl to help him cool off from a busy and exciting day. After checking on him to see if he had cooled down, his owner fed him. Suddenly, one of her friends stated that Baran seemed like he was choking. She went over and checked on him and Baran was dry heaving and drooling. They noticed he had not eaten any of his food, but he was in some sort of distress and was definitely bloated.

His owner tried to get him to burp, but was unable to and rushed him to the vet clinic. They were able to stabilize Baran and surgically checked to make sure there was no damage to any of his vital organs. The vet informed his owner that the ice water she gave Baran caused violent muscle spasms in his stomach which caused the bloating. Luckily for this boy, he is doing great and is recovered.

There is never a reason to give a dog ice water or ice! Normal water at room temperature, or cooling with cold towels on the inner thigh, are the best ways to help cool your Fluffy down. If a person falls into a frozen lake, what happens to the muscles? They cramp. This is the same as a dog's stomach.

Natural Balance Pet Food Product Alert!

July 8, 2009
Bichon FurKids has been recommending the Natural Balance® L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets® Potato & Duck Dry Formula for many months and our furkids seem to do well on it. Unfortunately, some of our furkids have recently experienced severe stomach problems (diarrhea and vomiting) that may be linked to this product. The company has put a notice on their web site indicating a change in the Duck and Potato formula and stating that dogs should be "transitioned" to this new formula. THERE IS NO CHANGE TO THE PRODUCT PACKAGING THAT WILL DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE. We have found that packages with expiration dates through September, 2009 seem to be the old formula and those in October are the new formula that may be causing the problems. We found this out the hard way when we had several dogs become sick and could find no cause. A rep at a local pet food store alerted us to the issue when we returned a bag that appeared to have discolored kibbles and that some of our dogs would not eat.

This is part of the note on their web site. "A very small percentage of dogs with sensitive stomachs may experience a temporary digestive upset with the formulation change to the Potato & Duck Formula. For this limited number of dogs, we recommend feeding smaller, more frequent meals, combined with the old formula (if available), over a 5 to 7 day period to adjust to the new formula."

Please CLICK HERE to visit the Natural Balance web site for more details.

Holistic Dog Care, Vaccinations, Dog Food, Blogs for Dogs

Exposing Myths, Lies and Outdated Information Affecting Dogs

www.Dogs4Dogs.com

Truth4Dogs

Only Natural Pet Store

Pets and Parasites

June 30, 2009
Learn more about how you can get rid of parasites in your pets as seen on Fox 5 Morning News featuring Bichon FurKids Rescue "Harley".

Learn more at the website www.petsandparasites.org

Watch the Fox News video

Nutro Pet Food Product Alert!

March 20, 2009
In 2008, Consumer Affairs prepared a report after receiving consumer concerns about Nutro pet foods. Their report said, "Scores of pets from California to South Carolina have experienced sudden and recurring bouts of diarrhea, vomiting, and other digestive problems. Through an examination of reports submitted by readers, ConsumerAffairs.com has uncovered a common link among these pets: They all ate the same brand of food: NUTRO pet food." The report goes on to say that a Nutro spokesperson denied these allegations. Let the buyer beware. Read the most recent testimonials. Read the original report.

Flea Prevention Product Alert!

February 12, 2009
A member of our BFK community had first-hand experience with Sentry Pro XFC flea drops similar to those listed on this web site. Please consult this site before purchasing your flea protection product. When in doubt, consult your veterinarian for the best product for your furkid. Read the story.

Peanut Butter Dog Treats Recalled Due to Salmonella

January 21, 2009
The nationwide salmonella outbreak has now spread to peanut butter flavored dog treats. Read the story.

Cocoa Mulch ~ Deadly to Dogs and Cats

November, 2008

One of our dog agility friends experienced a tragedy and wanted me to pass a special message along to all of my dog loving friends and family.

Over the weekend the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. They loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog Calypso decided that the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn't acting lethargic in any way.

The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk. Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.

Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company's website, this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats. Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey's, and they claim that 'It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won't eat it.'

Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called 'Theobromine'. It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks. Just a word of caution, check what you are using in your gardens and be aware of what your gardeners are using in your gardens.

Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker's chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.

Plastic Bags in Common Food Products Can Be Very Dangerous

Ella's Story

A 9 month old Sheltie puppy, Ella, suffered a tragic, sudden, senseless death recently. She suffocated to death on a bag liner that was inside a box of Cheez-its snack crackers. The owners were out for the evening and someone had left abox of Cheez-its within Ella's reach. She put her head in the bag inside the box to get to the crackers. The bag came out of the box but Ella couldn't get the bag off of her head. When her owner's came home they found her dead from suffocation. It doesn't seem possible, that a dog couldn't get a bag off their head, but they can't.

This occurs more often than you would imagine. There was also a family whose 6 year old Labrador got hold of a Doritos bagw hen they weren't looking. They found him dead with the bag over his head, having died the same way as Ella.

Make surethat ALL PLASTIC BAGS AND BOXES WITH BAG LINERS IN THEM (chips, snack crackers, cookies, cereal, etc.) are WAY out of your pets reach! Please share this story with your friends and save someone else from this type of horrific tragedy.

DANGEROUS TOY -- VERY IMPORTANT

Chai's Story

On Sunday, June 22, 2008 my 10-year old lab mix, Chai, sustained a severe injury from a product that the company Four Paws Inc, produces. The toy I'm referencing is the pimple ball with bell. (Item #20227-001, UPC Code 0 4566320227 9)

While chewing on the toy, a vacuum was created and it effectively sucked his tongue into the hole in the ball. From speaking with my vet, this likely occurred because there is not a second hole in the ball preventing the vacuum effect from happening. I became aware of this when Chai approached a friend at my home whimpering with the ball in his mouth. She tried unsuccessfully to remove the ball but the tongue had swollen and could not be released.

You can read the full Chai story at: http://thechaistory.blogspot.com/2008/08/chai-story.html and get updated information about this incident.

Emergencies

Animal Poison Control Center
As the premier animal poison control center in North America, the APCC is your best resource for any animal poison-related emergency, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you think that your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, make the call that can make all the difference: (888) 426-4435.

Keeping your pets safe -- Preparing for the worse
Disasters like earth quakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and floods don't just affect you -- they also affect your pets. And your pets depend on you for their safety. There are many ways to be "Pet Prepared," but you must think ahead and start planning NOW.

Okay or No Way?
Have you heard that a specific product or substance could be dangerous to your pets? Our experts at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center set the record straight on a variety of substances, from cleaning products to popular houseplants.

The HUMANE SOCIETY Disaster Center

FEMA - Animals and Emergencies

PET-FRIENDLY Hotels & Motels

Animal Emergency List

Animal Emergency Form

Pedigree Small Crunchy Bites food recall

As pet and bichon lovers, some of you may know people that feed the Pedigree product to their pets. Albertson stores in both Southern Cal and Nevada have announced a voluntary recall of Pedigree Small Crunchy Bites due to potential Salmonella contamination. Mars Petcare, the distributor of this product, states that the recall is voluntary and has pet safety as its primary goal. Please read the article below and share this information.

read the story

Cases of Xylitol Poisoning in Dogs Rise

A sugar substitute found in a variety of sugar-free and dietetic cookies, mints and chewing gum is proving highly toxic, even fatal, to snack-snatching dogs.

Xylitol, an alternative-sweetener, can be "very, very serious" to dogs when ingested, says Dana Farbman, spokeswoman for the Animal Poison Control Center of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

read the story

Warning about Rawhide products - and your pets

Pets with a history of vomiting, diarrhea, allergies and those who are on a special diet should generally not have rawhide. The material in the rawhide probably is not a problem for most dogs, although some can be allergic to it, and we all know it is fairly common for Bichons to have some allergies.

The real problem is that some dogs have a tendency to swallow too large a piece of the rawhide -- and it can get stuck in their esophagus, stomach or intestines, requiring it to be removed surgically. So, rawhides are particularly dangerous for dogs who prefer to swallow rather than chew. While rawhide can become slimy and swallow-able, it can also be easily lodged in the bowel if not chewed into small pieces. If you want to give your dogs things to chew on, please watch them the first few times they chew one and make sure they CHEW (rather than try to 'down' the whole thing in one gulp.) Also - avoid the rawhide chews and bones with the knots on the ends. Dogs have been known to chew the knots off and choke to death when they get caught in their throats. The knots also cause complications in their stomachs and digestive systems when swallowed whole.

You can buy rawhide that has been "minced" then pressed together which isn't as hard on dogs (It is known as compressed rawhide). CET chews are recommended by many veterinarians as a plaque preventative and are made of compressed rawhide.

Always supervise your dog while he/she is chewing a rawhide product. If the chew becomes small enough then discard it, as a dog attempting to swallow a rawhide can also die of suffocation. If you choose to give your dog rawhide products, choose natural rawhide that is free range, hormone free and produced in a way which is fit for human consumption.

If you notice your dog vomiting a clear or yellow bile, that can be a common symptom of a dog whose stomach is having a negative reaction to a product. As always, if you are not sure of something, please check with your veterinarian.

Negative experience with Bully Sticks

I wanted to share a recent experience that we had. I purchased something by the name of “Bully Sticks” These are sold in most pet stores and also online. Bully Sticks look like a stick that the dogs just love. I had no idea what they were made of when I was purchased them. Bully Sticks are made of 100% bull penises. Not a tendon and not processed meat strips. They are dried and smoked.

In my opinion, these are the cause of a recent illness that our 6-year old bichon had. He started to become very lethargic, stopped eating and completely stopped drinking. For four days he was in and out of the vet’s office. They tried numerous things. Fluids under the skin, blood work, IV fluids, antibiotics and then more IV fluids. The Doctor still did not know what caused this issue.

While I could never be definite, there is the issue of what was different in the week leading up to this issue -- and the only answer I know to be true is this Bully Stick. So I am writing this simply as an opinion and a commitment that I will not feed any of our four Bichons these ever again. Charlie has recovered but it was very difficult to see our happy go lucky dog so down. I do encourage all of you to be aware of what you give your dogs as treats.

Sincerely,

The Gilbert Family

Owners of Charlie, Dylan, Moxie and our “newbie” Pumpkin

Swimming can be hazardous for your dog -- be aware of blue green algae

Although there are not a lot of bichons that like to swim, many of you have non-bichons in your family or know people that have dogs that swim. Please read this and let people whose dogs are swimmers know about the issue with blue green algae.

read the story

Take the pledge to help STOP PUPPY MILLS today!

Puppy mills are breeding facilities that produce purebred puppies in large numbers. Puppy mills have long concerned The HSUS.

Often the puppies are sold directly to the public via the Internet, newspaper ads, or at the mill itself. In other cases they are sold to brokers and pet shops across the country. ALL pet stores receive their puppies from puppy mills!

The myriad documented problems of puppy mills include: overbreeding, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of human socialization, overcrowded cages and the killing of unwanted animals.

For the unwitting consumer, this situation frequently means buying a puppy facing an array of immediate veterinary problems or harboring genetic diseases that surface years later.

Learn more about how to avoid buying a puppy mill dog, and take the pledge to stop puppy mills today.

HSUS MySpace Page | Stop Puppy Mills Website

Online Training Video Clips

Petvideo.com, created by the founders of Petfinder.com and Petsincredible, provides online training clips that you can now view. You can select from a number of different issues about which you want to learn. All of these lessons are based on the positive, reward-based training that is also available on their award-winning PetsIncredible DVD: TRAINING YOUR ADOPTED DOG. If you would like a copy of the DVD - and have adopted from Bichon FurKids - please send us an email at and we'll be happy to send one to you.